Plush Puffs

Fun, Flavored Gourmet Marshmallows

CAPSULE REPORT: Plush Puffs is a line of all-natural, flavored marshmallows that are a fun candy, a twist on the classic campfire snack, or a gourmet dessert ingredient. Handcrafted and available in 13 flavors, most will keep grown-ups happy and almost all will delight the SweeTart and Starburst crowd who are ready to trade up to better candy. They’re a good offset to all that Easter chocolate, too.

When thinking about marshmallows, it’s hard to avoid reference to the omnipresent Peeps®. Once just Easter fare, first cute chicks and then bunnies, the company now boasts, “always in season Peeps...now available all year long.” There are pink and red Valentine Peeps; jack-o-lantern, ghost and black cat Peeps; Christmas tree and snowman Peeps. But these are not your father’s Peeps—rubbery and artificial, coated in garish-colored sugar, and no longer, in our opinion, in the least bit cute, they sent us looking for something better.

You’ll be glad to know of a cuter, tastier, healthier alternative to celebrate any holiday or occasion when you just want to bestow a box of marshmallows. Plush Puffs makes all-natural, homemade marshmallow squares in 13 different varieties, sure to please young palates with a love for sticky sweets.

The texture of these marshmallows is dense and spongy; there are fruit-forward flavors that will appeal to the generation that grew up on Starburst® Brand chews or SweeTart® candy pellets; and sophisticated flavors that will appeal to grown-ups as well. Much like a cross between eating a soft gummy-bear and cotton candy (pliant, not rock-hard like many commercial marshmallows), these flavor-enhanced puffs lend themselves to some fun serving ideas, ideal for Easter or any time.

The makers of Plush Puffs share their marshmallow vision with innovative recipes like:

Chocolate Chipetta. Melted marshmallows are hard to resist. The Chocolate Chipetta marshmallow flavor makes a wonderful, gooey S’more. Here, it’s melted between two L-U Petit Ecolier (Little Schoolboy) cookies, which supply the chocolate and the cookie part of the S’more in one piece. On its own, a nice, sophisticated flavor.

Maple Pecan. Instead of whipped cream, kids will find it more fun to top pies with a slightly warm marshmallow. The Maple Pecan is a perfect flavor match to pumpkin pie. You can match any of the flavors to whatever pie you’re serving. Use Plush Puffs to top pound cake zucchini bread, or cupcakes. The essence of maple pecan. Dress up puddings, custards, etc.

Sam’s Sour Lemon. These won’t make lips pucker like SweeTarts, but they make excellent after-dinner petit fours for the kids and the bright colors are sure to please. They’ll look great on the Kid’s Petit Fours Plate (see below). A variation in the citrus department is Key Lime Sublime, very limey and flavor forward.

Sydney’s Cinnamon. Never thought to pair apple cider with marshmallows? Young palates will enjoy the creaminess and spice that the cinnamon marshmallow adds to the tartness of cider. Use them in place of ground cinnamon. You can heat them both in the microwave at the same time.

Toasted Coconut. Go tropical with a tangy grilled pineapple balanced by a sweet, warmed coconut Puff. We also like the coconut marshmallow atop ice cream, warmed on a chocolate brownie, in a S’more and all by itself for munching.

Vanilla Bean. Sure, adults would prefer a waffle cup full of gelato instead of these large ultra-sweet, Puffs; but kids will be delighted with the soft, chewy marshmallows in a crispy shell. And of course, you can add ice cream underneath. Vanilla Bean is used here, but any flavor will do.

Kid’s Petit-Fours Plate. If you want to give kids the full grown-up treatment, present them with their own petit-fours tray at the end of dinner or the party meal. Shown below: Caramel Swirl, Chocolate Chipetta, Toasted Coconut, Peppi-Mint, Vanilla Bean and Maple Pecan. Peppi-Mint goes great in a cup of hot cocoa.

And For The Grown-Ups

In addition to the flavors above, there’s a limited edition D.C. Cherry Blossom we liked very much. Of all the flavors—Caramel Swirl Chocolate Chipetta, Kona Coffee Crunch, Maple Pecan, Orange Honey and Toasted Coconut—were our favorites, and can be enjoyed in recipes like those below, as grown-up “petit-fours” after dinner with coffee or simply as ... a confection.

Caramel Swirl. Dipped in a rich chocolate sauce or fondue, this marshmallow will hardly be considered a child’s treat—although the kids will clamor for some. The creamy caramel, which is almost toffee-like, makes an impressive marriage with the chocolate. Give each guest an individual ramekin.

Kona Coffee Crunch.
Pop a marshmallow in hot coffee, cocoa or even hot soymilk. It delivers a subtle espresso and cocoa flavor, followed by a slight crunch from the sprinkling of chocolate-covered espresso beans. Of course, nibbling on them straight from the bag is its own pleasurable coffee hit.

Plush Puff Marshmallows have a 90-day shelf life. They stay fresh and soft when kept in a fairly airtight container and can be restored in the microwave if they get hard. They also can be frozen.

Make kids happy this Easter—or any time of year. Parents won’t mind them Puff-ing away.